Vaisampayana said,--"As soon as Vidura endued with great foresight came
unto him king Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, timidly asked his
brother,--'How doth Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, proceed along? And
how Arjuna? And how the twin sons of Madri? And how, O Kshatta, doth
Dhaumya proceed along? And how the illustrious Draupadi? I desire to
hear everything, O Kshatta; describe to me all their acts.'
"Vidura replied,--'Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, hath gone away
covering his face with his cloth. And Bhima, O king, hath gone away
looking at his own mighty arms. And Jishnu (Arjuna) hath gone away,
following the king spreading sand-grains around. And Sahadeva, the son
of Madri, hath gone away besmearing his face, and Nakula, the
handsomest of men, O king, hath gone away, staining himself with dust
and his heart in great affliction. And the large-eyed and beautiful
Krishna hath gone away, covering her face with her dishevelled hair
following in the wake of the king, weeping and in tears. And O monarch,
Dhaumya goeth along the road, with kusa grass in hand, and uttering the
aweful mantras of Sama Veda that relate to Yama.'
"Dhritarashtra asked,--'Tell me, O Vidura, why is it that the Pandavas
are leaving Hastinapore in such varied guise.'
"Vidura replied,--'Though persecuted by thy sons and robbed of his
kingdom and wealth the mind of the wise king Yudhishthira the just hath
not yet deviated from the path of virtue. King Yudhishthira is always
kind, O Bharata, to thy children. Though deprived (of his kingdom and
possessions) by foul means, filled with wrath as he is, he doth not
open eyes. "I should not burn the people by looking at them with angry
eyes,"--thinking so, the royal son of Pandu goeth covering his face.
Listen to me as I tell thee, O bull of the Bharata race, why Bhima
goeth so. "There is none equal to me in strength of arms," thinking so
Bhima goeth repeatedly stretching forth his mighty arms. And, O king,
proud of the strength of his arms, Vrikodara goeth, exhibiting them and
desiring to do unto his enemies deeds worthy of those arms. And Arjuna
the son of Kunti, capable of using both his arms (in wielding the
Gandiva) followeth the footsteps of Yudhishthira, scattering
sand-grains emblematical of the arrows he would shower in battle. O
Bharata, he indicateth that as the sand-grains are scattered by him
with ease, so will he rain arrows with perfect ease on the foe (in time
of battle). And Sahadeva goeth besmearing his face, thinking "None may
recognise me in this day of trouble." And, O exalted one, Nakula goeth
staining himself with dust thinking, "Lest otherwise I steal the hearts
of the ladies that may look at me." And Draupadi goeth, attired in one
piece of stained cloth, her hair dishevelled, and weeping,
signifying--"The wives of those for whom I have been reduced to such a
plight, shall on the fourteenth year hence be deprived of husbands,
sons and relatives and dear ones and smeared all over with blood, with
hair dishevelled and all in their feminine seasons enter Hastinapore
having offered oblations of water (unto the manes of those they will
have lost)." And O Bharata, the learned Dhaumya with passions under
full control, holding the kusa grass in his hand and pointing the same
towards the south-west, walketh before, singing the mantras of the Sama
Veda that relate to Yama. And, O monarch, that learned Brahamana goeth,
also signifying, "When the Bharatas shall be slain in battle, the
priests of the Kurus will thus sing the Soma mantras (for the benefit
of the deceased)." And the citizens, afflicted with great grief, are
repeatedly crying out, "Alas, alas, behold our masters are going away!
O fie on the Kuru elders that have acted like foolish children in thus
banishing heirs of Pandu from covetousness alone. Alas, separated from
the son of Pandu we all shall become masterless. What love can we bear
to the wicked and avaricious Kurus?" Thus O king, have the sons of
Kunti, endued with great energy of mind, gone away,--indicating, by
manner and signs, the resolutions that are in their hearts. And as
those foremost of men had gone away from Hastinapore, flashes of
lightning appeared in the sky though without clouds and the earth
itself began to tremble. And Rahu came to devour the Sun, although it
was not the day of conjunction. And meteors began to fall, keeping the
city to their right. And jackals and vultures and ravens and other
carnivorous beasts and birds began to shriek and cry aloud from the
temples of the gods and the tops of sacred trees and walls and
house-tops. And these extraordinary calamitous portents, O king, were
seen and heard, indicating the destruction of the Bharatas as the
consequence of thy evil counsels.'"
Vaisampayana continued,--"And, O monarch, while king Dhritarashtra and
the wise Vidura were thus talking with each other, there appeared in
that assembly of the Kauravas and before the eyes of all, the best of
the celestial Rishis. And appearing before them all, he uttered these
terrible words, On the fourteenth year hence, the Kauravas, in
consequence of Duryodhana's fault, will all be destroyed by the might
of Bhima and Arjuna. And having said this, that best of celestial
Rishis, adorned with surpassing Vedic grace, passing through the skies,
disappeared from the scene. Then Duryodhana and Karna and Sakuni, the
son of Suvala regarding Drona as their sole refuge, offered the kingdom
to him. Drona then, addressing the envious and wrathful Duryodhana and
Dussasana and Karna and all the Bharata, said, 'The Brahamanas have
said that the Pandavas being of celestial origin are incapable of being
slain. The sons of Dhritarashtra, however, having, with all the kings,
heartily and with reverence sought my protection, I shall look after
them to the best of my power. Destiny is supreme, I cannot abandon
them. The sons of Pandu, defeated at dice, are going into exile in
pursuance of their promise. They will live in the woods for twelve
years. Practising the Brahmacharyya mode of life for this period, they
will return in anger and to our great grief take the amplest vengeance
on their foes. I had formerly deprived Drupada of his kingdom in a
friendly dispute. Robbed of his kingdom by me, O Bharata, the king
performed a sacrifice for obtaining a son (that should slay me). Aided
by the ascetic power of Yaja and Upayaja, Drupada obtained from the
(sacrificial) fire a son named Dhrishtadyumna and a daughter, viz., the
faultless Krishna, both risen from the sacrificial platform. That
Dhrishtadyumna is the brother-in-law of the sons of Pandu by marriage,
and dear unto them. It is for him, therefore that I have much fear. Of
celestial origin and resplendent as the fire, he was born with bow,
arrows, and encased in mail. I am a being that is mortal. Therefore it
is for him that I have great fear. That slayer of all foes, the son of
Parshatta, hath taken the side of the Pandavas. I shall have to lose my
life, if he and I ever encounter each other in battle. What grief can
be greater to me in this world than this, ye Kauravas that
Dhrishtadyumna is the destined slayer of Drona--this belief is general.
That he hath been born for slaying me hath been heard by me and is
widely known also in the world. For thy sake, O Duryodhana, that
terrible season of destruction is almost come. Do without loss of time,
what may be beneficial unto thee. Think not that everything hath been
accomplished by sending the Pandavas into exile. This thy happiness
will last for but a moment, even as in winter the shadow of the top of
the palm tree resteth (for a short time) at its base. Perform various
kinds of sacrifices, and enjoy, and give O Bharata, everything thou
likest. On the fourteenth year hence, a great calamity will overwhelm
thee.'"
Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing these words of Drona, Dhritarashtra
said,--'O Kshatta, the preceptor hath uttered what is true. Go thou and
bring back the Pandavas. If they do not come back, let them go treated
with respect and affection. Let those my sons go with weapons, and
cars, and infantry, and enjoying every other good thing.'"